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Michael Westen
Char-Stub Michael Westen is an international spy who suddenly finds himself blacklisted. Dumped in his hometown of Miami without money or resources, Michael struggles to put his life back together and find out why he's been cut off. In the meantime, Michael uses his unique skills and training to help people who can't go to the police. He is portrayed by Jeffrey Donovan in the television series Burn Notice. Family Michael had an abusive childhood. His father beat him as an obedience measure. His father also took advantage of him, for example, having Michael fake a seizure inside a Mr. Goodwrench store so Michael's father could steal some spark plugs. Eight years ago, Michael's father died, and only recently did Michael visit his grave, after persistent persuasion from his mother. Michael's younger brother, Nate, is a compulsive gambler who has a history of stealing from Michael to fund his addiction. Early Life Michael served his country for 10 years working in Eastern Europe and the OPEC countries as a covert operative who freelanced for the CIA. While in the middle of a dangerous mission in Nigeria, Michael's "contact" informs him that he has been "burned", or is now considered an untrustworthy entity. Michael's bank accounts are seized, he is cut off from all of his contacts, and flagged on every relevant government list. After shooting and stealing his way to an airport, Michael is dumped in Miami, with Fiona Glenanne, his ex-girlfriend and emergency contact, watching over him. Season One Now Michael has to try to find work that fits his "unique" skills, count on old friends like Sam Axe who is also informing on him to the FBI, contend with his neurotic mother Madeline Westen, and do everything he can to find out who burned him. He lives in a cheap, low key apartment with a bed mattress and a fridge that is usually filled with yogurt. He also spends time at his mother's house. Although affable and usually easygoing, Michael is very dangerous when he engages in combat. He is usually able to neutralize his enemies with ease. Background Information and Notes * Michael appears to favor the SIG Sauer P228 (9x19mm) as his primary sidearm. * Michael's signature sunglasses are made by Oliver Peoples, and the style is called "Victory". In the episode Broken Rules Michael claimed he got the sunglasses from an Algerian special ops soldier he tangled with who "didn't need them anymore." * Michael seems to have a fondness for yogurt (particularly Blueberry) as he is often seen talking about it and eating it in various episodes. In the episode Broken Rules he blackmails an agent by showing him multiple embarrassing photos, one of them of the agent breaking inside Michael's home without a warrant and eating his yogurt. To date, Family Business is the only episode that features no appearance or mention of yogurt. * Michael wears a suit similar to Leonard Shelby in Memento. * When secretly breaking into a person's home, Michael tends to snack on food items in the person's kitchen, such as tortilla chips and yogurt. * Michael tends to whistle when impressed. References External links * USA Burn Notice: Michael Westen Character Bio at USA.com * Burned in Miami: Michael Westen, an unofficial fansite. Category:Characters Category:Main characters Category:Season 1 characters Category:Season 2 characters Category:Articles using Wikipedia content